Arizona bowler rolls 300 at 2026 USBC Open Championships
July 11, 2026
RENO, Nev. – Aaron Yamamoto of Phoenix checked off a longtime goal Thursday at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, rolling his first perfect game at the tournament during doubles competition at the National Bowling Stadium.
The 33-year-old right-hander opened with games of 201 and 197 before closing with the 41st 300 of the 2026 event for a 698 series. He joined Justin Sims of Ventura, California, during the set to post a combined score of 1,300 in the Regular Division.
The accomplishment didn’t come without adjustments.
Yamamoto began doubles with his typical strategy of starting farther right on the lane before gradually moving left as the pattern transitioned. However, seeing multiple competitors throwing urethane on his pair caused him to make a more aggressive move than originally planned.
“I always try to start right at nationals and chase it left as the lanes break down,” Yamamoto said. “We had a couple guys throwing urethane on our pair, so I moved farther in and got a little more direct to the pocket.”
The adjustment proved to be exactly what he needed.
“I told my doubles partner I was just going to give it a shot,” Yamamoto said. “I was going to throw it as hard as I could, be a little more direct and not give the lane away. It paid off.”
The perfect game marked Yamamoto’s first at the USBC Open Championships, a milestone he has been pursuing since becoming a regular participant.
“I’ve been coming out here for about five years now,” Yamamoto said. “Shooting an honor score, whether it was a 300 or an 800, has always been on my bucket list.”
While the perfect game earned him a place among the tournament’s honor score recipients, Yamamoto said the annual trip to the Open Championships has always been about more than scores.
“I really come to nationals because it’s like a vacation,” Yamamoto said. “I get to see friends from California that I don’t get to see throughout the year. This is just kind of a little reward on top of that.”
Along with a place in the tournament’s record book, Yamamoto also earned one of the traditions reserved for those reaching the achievement – he’ll be recognized as a tournament celebrity every year he bowls the event.
For Yamamoto, however, the lasting memory will simply be accomplishing one of the goals he set for himself when he began competing at the Open Championships.
He finished his appearance with a 633 series in singles and added 620 in team to finish the year with an all-events total of 1,951.
The Open Championships is celebrating its 122nd edition in 2026 and making its 15th trip to Reno, Nevada. The 2026 event is scheduled to feature more than 55,000 bowlers and 11,000 five-player teams competing across 128 consecutive days at the National Bowling Stadium.
Follow the action from the tournament’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts.
The 33-year-old right-hander opened with games of 201 and 197 before closing with the 41st 300 of the 2026 event for a 698 series. He joined Justin Sims of Ventura, California, during the set to post a combined score of 1,300 in the Regular Division.
The accomplishment didn’t come without adjustments.
Yamamoto began doubles with his typical strategy of starting farther right on the lane before gradually moving left as the pattern transitioned. However, seeing multiple competitors throwing urethane on his pair caused him to make a more aggressive move than originally planned.
“I always try to start right at nationals and chase it left as the lanes break down,” Yamamoto said. “We had a couple guys throwing urethane on our pair, so I moved farther in and got a little more direct to the pocket.”
The adjustment proved to be exactly what he needed.
“I told my doubles partner I was just going to give it a shot,” Yamamoto said. “I was going to throw it as hard as I could, be a little more direct and not give the lane away. It paid off.”
The perfect game marked Yamamoto’s first at the USBC Open Championships, a milestone he has been pursuing since becoming a regular participant.
“I’ve been coming out here for about five years now,” Yamamoto said. “Shooting an honor score, whether it was a 300 or an 800, has always been on my bucket list.”
While the perfect game earned him a place among the tournament’s honor score recipients, Yamamoto said the annual trip to the Open Championships has always been about more than scores.
“I really come to nationals because it’s like a vacation,” Yamamoto said. “I get to see friends from California that I don’t get to see throughout the year. This is just kind of a little reward on top of that.”
Along with a place in the tournament’s record book, Yamamoto also earned one of the traditions reserved for those reaching the achievement – he’ll be recognized as a tournament celebrity every year he bowls the event.
For Yamamoto, however, the lasting memory will simply be accomplishing one of the goals he set for himself when he began competing at the Open Championships.
He finished his appearance with a 633 series in singles and added 620 in team to finish the year with an all-events total of 1,951.
The Open Championships is celebrating its 122nd edition in 2026 and making its 15th trip to Reno, Nevada. The 2026 event is scheduled to feature more than 55,000 bowlers and 11,000 five-player teams competing across 128 consecutive days at the National Bowling Stadium.
Follow the action from the tournament’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts.